Microsoft finally innovating again and closing gap with Apple

By Andy Vuong

Monday, December 3, 2012

After spending roughly two weeks with a smartphone and laptop powered by the latest Windows software, it's easy to see why Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is worried that Microsoft may be gaining ground on the world's dominant technology company.

Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 aren't perfect by any means, as the desktop operating system is still saddled with bloatware and bugs, and the mobile version isn't as easy to use as Apple's iOS and doesn't offer as much customization as Google's Android.

But it's evident that Microsoft is innovating, coming up with new ideas and features rather than just tweaking a market-leading product, which Apple appears to be doing with the iPhone. Wozniak said as much in an interview with TechCrunch.

"They might've been doing that (innovating) for three years while Apple was just used to cranking out the newest iPhone and falling a little behind, and that worries me greatly," said Wozniak, who no longer works for Apple.

Wozniak said he was amazed after discovering Microsoft had developed voice-recognition software that could translate one language to another.

During my review of the Windows Phone 8X by HTC from T-Mobile, I was amazed by a feature that captures printed text via the device's camera and translates it into multiple languages, including Vietnamese, Chinese and Italian.

The 8X has several features that Apple may end up copying. With "pocket mode" turned on, the phone automatically detects when it's inside a pocket and increases the ringer volume and vibrates during an incoming call.

Another mode under "attentive phone settings" allows the ringer to be silenced simply by flipping the phone over. It comes in handy when you're on a call in the office and want to quickly silence your cellphone.

The main user interface, like predecessor Windows Phone 7, is anchored by square and rectangular tiles, many of which are "live" and update with new or different images each time the phone is unlocked.

One new element Microsoft has touted is Kid's Corner, which allows parents to select the games, apps, music and videos their child can access while playing with the device. The feature is good but would be much improved if kids were able to access Kid's Corner even if the device's passcode-lock feature is enabled for the adult areas of the phone.

On the hardware side, HTC has once again produced a top-notch device. The phone sports a rubber-like backing that looks slick but also offers a nice grip. A 4.3-inch touchscreen is tightly packed into a lightweight and thin design. The phone is equipped with an 8-megapixel rear camera and internal "ImageChip" that makes snapping photos a little easier. The dedicated camera button also helps.

The 8X retails for $200 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a two-year T-Mobile contract.

As for Windows 8, I've been checking out the desktop OS on a Lenovo Yoga. Unlike the 8X, which will be returned to T-Mobile, the Yoga is my personal machine. It retails for $1,000 at Best Buy.

Windows 8 marries mobile and desktop computing. It is designed specifically for touchscreen computers, and the Yoga takes full advantage with a unique hinge technology that allows the screen to fold back 360 degrees, turning the laptop into a tablet.

Microsoft replaced the start menu with the "Modern" user interface -- formerly called Metro. The new layout displays programs in attractive and touch-friendly squares and rectangles rather than lined up in a boring menu.

Windows 8 includes a smartphone-like mail program that allows users to sync multiple accounts without the need for Outlook or third-party software.

The system's search "charm" enables users to look for stuff in various search engines, apps and directories -- all from one place. It's a convenient feature that I use frequently.

The Yoga did come with a trackpad bug that disabled two-finger scrolls and a hard drive that had only about half of its storage capacity available out of the box, with the rest occupied by bloatware and system files. Check out my blog for a deeper look at the Yoga and fixes for the issues, which weren't deal breakers for me.

One issue I couldn't address is the lack of integration between a Windows Phone 8 mobile device and a Windows 8 laptop.

Cameron Evans, chief technology officer for Microsoft Education, showed during a recent demonstration how preferences in the Modern layout were automatically saved and transferred to multiple machines with a single log-in. But that works only if both devices are running the full, desktop version of Windows 8.

The primary interfaces on the mobile and desktop versions of Windows are very similar, so I was surprised that I couldn't seamlessly update one device from the other. Microsoft needs to better integrate the two to successfully draw users into its ecosystem, particularly on the mobile front.

While Microsoft still owns desktop computing with Windows, Apple is the heavyweight in mobile, and its Mac-based desktops and laptops are gaining market share.